Shirley Williams, the SDP President, addressed the Liberal Conference today
Shirley Williams, the SDP President, addressed the Liberal Conference today

Back to a busy day and reality as I tried using rotavators without much success but had better luck with sanding and priming my balcony rails, coating more than a third of them by teatime. Much energy this evening helping the children with their home work as Daniel is skimping his and Debbie takes far too much time as she has Brownies tonight to fit in. The NCB and NUM are at loggerheads in the miners’ dispute and exchanging threats, the US makes its latest ‘Double Zero Option’ arms proposal to the Soviets and the Liberal Conference, addressed by the SDP President, Shirley Williams, looks set to support the merger proposal.

Slept well enough and Di was first awake and made the morning drinks, as we returned to our normal routine. Another fine and sunny day, although the breeze was getting up. I opted to work outside today and make a start on the rusting balcony rails, but first I got Di to ring her friend Brenda about the rotavator. It seems they had got it working and tried to come round on Friday, but we were out when they telephoned. Pete and I went round in the Range Rover and bought it for £42. It is a Landmaster garden rotavator and, though old, seems to work well. It was hard going on our land, when we got it home, as the clay was hard and dry. We were just making some progress when a bolt fell out of the gear box and was lost in the earth!

We tried hiring a heavier duty model from St Neots Tool Hire at Cosy Corner, but that made even less impression and so we took it back before lunch (and were still charged £13 for the privilege). This morning Nigel dropped round for a chat and Joan made us some coffee. He is preparing some plants for our new conservatory and was asking when I think it will be built. I only wished I knew. I got him to drop me in St Neots after, to catch up with Di and I bought the paint and other accessories I needed to start on the balcony. Lunch of salad with a pie to follow and then I started my intended task. The bars had started to rust and so it took quite a bit of sanding to prepare them properly. At 2.00pm, I drove over to Great Paxton, Ibbet’s, to take my rotavator head and they undertook to re-tap the hole in the aluminium gearbox and fit a new bolt, but not for a day or two. Back to let Di have the Range Rover, as she needed it to take the sleeping bags to the launderette for cleaning. I successfully sanded more than a third of the balcony rails and coated them with red oxide primer and then it was nearly tea time. A family tea of pork chops and vegetables. Whilst putting away the ducks after, one of Debbie’s ex-classmates, Samantha, called me over and asked after her. She was very sweet and chatty – just like Debbie – and I said I would remember her to Debs and suggest they play together some time. Much energy this evening getting both of the children to do their homework properly. Daniel kept skimping his and had to be asked to do it again properly. He had done well in his French oral test at lunchtime today and had to go first. To his credit, he did do his work properly in the end tonight, but only after being pushed. Poor Debbie was all enthusiasm with her work, but spent so long at it. She had played with Amy before tea, got dressed for Brownies and went to that and so it was after 9.00pm before she had done her work. Eventually got her off to bed and still gave her a story. News today is of a continued deadlock in the miner’s dispute. British Coal has reacted to the threat of an overtime ban by threatening accelerated pit closures. The US has presented its latest ‘Double Zero Option’ arms proposal to the Soviets, calling for the elimination of both short and medium range missiles. Shirley Williams, the SDP President, addressed the Liberal Conference today and they seem certain to support the proposals for a merger.